<img border="0" src="http://www.nickhurd.com/images/nh_commons.jpg" alt="Nick Hurd MP speaking in the House of Commons" title="Nick Hurd MP speaking in the House of Commons">

Key Campaigns

Update on key campaigns

Keep Cancer Services at Mount Vernon

Key issue: The risk of Cancer Centre being moved to Hertfordshire

My biggest local Campaign has been to keep Cancer Services at Mount Vernon. This cross party campaign, which I launched in partnership with Community Voice, mobilised over 80,000 people across Hillingdon, Harrow and Hertfordshire who fought plans to move the well supported Cancer Centre to Hertfordshire. We took the petition to the Minister and through parliamentary debates and meetings, I have kept the pressure up.

Key milestones:

  • Feb 07 - cross party campaign launched by Nick Hurd MP in partnership with Community Voice.

Save cancer services at Mount Vernon


  • Dec 07 - 77,780 signature presented to Minister of Health.

Presenting the Mount Vernon petition to the Minister for Health

 

Latest news:

A recent consultation exercise seemed to favour keeping the Cancer Centre at Mount Vernon. I am delighted to say that this was confirmed in a recent meeting with the Chairman and Chief Executive of East Herts Trust who run the Centre. They believe that the argument has been won in favour of investing in Mount Vernon as a centre of excellence, and I am reassured by their personal commitment.

Recent visitors to the hospital will be aware of the new treatment centre there and the investment that has gone in. This is good news but I will not be complacent and will continue to press for a clear, long term plan for this much-loved hospital site.

In April last year I invited Andrew Lansley, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, to visit Mount Vernon and see for himself the great work that is done there. During his visit he met with the Chairman and CEO of East Herts Trust who run the Cancer Centre, and Joan Davies who chairs Community Voice. From Joan he heard of the strength of local feeling in favour of keeping the cancer centre at Mount Vernon, reflected in the 77,780 signature that we presented to the Minister of Health.

Andrew Lansley's visit to Mount Vernon

 

No to Third Runway at Heathrow

All three Hillingdon MPs are united in our opposition to the proposed third runway at Heathrow.

Over the last few months, I have:

  • attended a mass rally in Central London;
  • spoken in a Parliamentary debate and public meeting in Hillingdon;
  • put down various Parliamentary questions;
  • attended regular meetings with campaign groups;
  • written articles against expansion
  • sought to influence the position of my own party

The points I have made are:

  • On the whole people want a better Heathrow not a bigger one.
  • My constituents are worried about the impact of new take-off flight paths over Harrow and Northolt.
  • What would expansion mean for the future of RAF Northolt?
  • A bigger Heathrow will mean more unaccompanied asylum-seeking
    children, whom Hillingdon has to look after. Because the Council is not adequately funded for these costs, Hillingdon Council tax payers will be even harder hit.
  • We were told that expansion would stop with Terminal 5, so this process will drive another nail into the coffin of public trust in the political process.
  • We are told that climate change is the biggest challenge we face, but an extra runway will lead to more flights, which are the fastest growing source of dangerous emissions. How are we meant to make sense of that?

No third runwaywww.photoeverywhere.co.uk

Articles for Hillingdon Times
Relevant PQs
Speech in Westminster Hall debate